Apparatus and method for information processing in network system

• US 20040236731A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tokimmoto, Yoshiki, Yamada, Masami, Mishima, Kimie, Tamai, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion

Abstract

An apparatus and method for information processing in a network system providing shared folders across a plurality of information processing apparatuses (personal computers) via network. A shared folder management table contains the IP addresses, identifiers of the personal computers, the names of shared folders, and the number of times or attempts to transmit data, etc. Searching of the shared folders is performed at given intervals of time and a search result is compared with the last search result. Based on the search result, a new management data founded is registered in the management table. If a destination personal computer remains inaccessible longer than predetermined time, management data of such personal computers are deleted from the management table.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a search controller which executes searching of shared folders in which image data are stored, shared by a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to a network;

a memory unit which stores results of searching of said shared folders;

a comparator which compares shared folders of the present search with those of the last search; and

a display unit which displays the states of the information processing apparatuses associated with the shared folders in a shared folder management table which is updated, according to the result of the comparison made by said comparator.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a document reader which reads a document and outputs the image data; and

a communication controller which transmits image data to said shared folders.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, as the result of a shared folder search by said search controller, when an information processing apparatus having a shared folder, which was found to be in an operating state by the last search, is found to be in a power OFF state by the present search, said display unit displays said shared folder management table in which indicating the state of the information processing apparatus changed.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said search controller executes shared folder searching at intervals of first predetermined time.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a time memory unit which memorizes time when a shared folder has become unable to be searched for, when such a shared folder is detected through shared folder searching by said search controller,

wherein, if the shared folder remains unable to be searched for during consecutive iteration of shared folder searching by said search controller at intervals of second predetermined time, said search controller stops searching for the shared folder and, indication of shared folder and related entries are deleted from the shared folder management table displayed on said display unit.

6. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a search controller which executes searching of shared folders in which image data are stored, shared by a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to a network;

a memory unit which stores results of searching of said shared folders;

a comparator which compares shared folders of the present search with those of the last search;

a display unit which displays the states of the information processing apparatuses associated with the shared folders in a shared folder management table which is updated, according to the result of the comparison made by said comparator; and

a selection controller which allows selection of a shared folder in a destination to which image data is transmitted,

wherein, when said destination shared folder is selected, said display unit displays a management table according to the result of the comparison made by said comparator.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a document reader which reads a document and outputs the image data; and

a communication controller which transmits the image data to said shared folders.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, as the result of a shared folder search by said search controller, when an information processing apparatus having a shared folder, which was found to be in an operating state by the last search, is found to be in a power OFF state by the present search, said display unit displays shared folder management table in which indicating the state of the information processing apparatus changed.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said search controller executes shared folder searching at intervals of first predetermined time.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a time memory unit which memorizes time when a shared folder has become unable to be searched for, if such a shared folder is detected through shared folder searching by said search controller,

wherein, if the shared folder remains unable to be searched for during consecutive iteration of shared folder searching by said search controller at intervals of second predetermined time, said search controller stops searching for the shared folder and, indication of shared folder and related entries are deleted from the shared folder management table displayed on said display unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, after a destination shared folder to transmit image data to is selected, said search controller executes shared folder searching at intervals of said second predetermined time that is shorter than said first predetermined time.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, after a shared folder that is unable to be searched for is selected as the destination to transmit image data to, said search controller executes shared folder searching at intervals of said second predetermined time that is shorter than said first predetermined time.

13. The network information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a memory unit memorizing the number of times of shared folder selection as the destination to transmit image data through said selection controller,

wherein, if the number of times said shared folder has been selected exceeds a predetermined number of times, and if the shared folder remains unable to be searched for by said search controller longer than said second predetermined time, then said shared folder is automatically deleted for the destination and, indication of shared folder and related entries are deleted from the shared folder management table displayed on said display unit.

14. A method for information processing which is used to handle information about a plurality of information processing apparatuses interconnected by a network, said method comprising:

a step to search shared folders in which image data are stored, shared by a plurality of information processing apparatuses connected to the network;

a step to memorize search results into a memory unit as information on the results of searching said shared folders;

a step to compare a shared folder obtained by the present search with that obtained by the last search; and

a step to display the states of the information processing apparatuses associated with the shared folders in a shared folder management table which is updated, according to the result of the comparison made by said comparison step.

15. The method for information processing according to claim 14, further comprising:

a step to read a document by a document reader and output the image data; and

a step to transmit image data to said shared folders.

16. The method for information processing according to claim 14, wherein, as the result of a search by executing said search step, when an information processing apparatus having a shared folder and connected to the network, which was found to be in an operating state by the last search, is found to be in a power OFF state by the present search, said display step displays said shared folder management table in which the state of the information processing apparatus has changed.

17. The method for information processing according to claim 14, wherein said search step executes shared folder searching at intervals of first predetermined time.

18. The method for information processing according to claim 14, further comprising:

a step to memorize time when a shared folder has become unable to be searched for, when such a shared folder is detected through shared folder searching by said search step,

wherein, if the shared folder remains unable to be searched for during consecutive iteration of shared folder searching at intervals of second predetermined time, said search step stops searching for the shared folder and, the indication of shared folder and related entries are deleted from the shared folder management table.

19. The method for information processing according to claim 14, further comprising:

a step to select a shared folder as a destination to which image data is transmitted,

wherein, when said selection step selects a destination shared folder, said display step displays the shared folder management table according to the result of the comparison made by said comparison step.

20. The method for information processing according to claim 19, wherein, after said selection step selects a destination shared folder to transmit image data to, said search step executes shared folder searching at intervals of said second predetermined time that is shorter than said first predetermined time.

21. The method for information processing according to claim 14, wherein, after said selection step selects a shared folder that is unable to be searched for as the destination to transmit image data to, said search step executes shared folder searching at intervals of said second predetermined time that is shorter than said first predetermined time.

22. The method for information processing according to claim 14, further comprising:

a step to memorize the number of times a shared folder has been selected at the destination to which image data is transmitted by the selection step,

wherein, if the number of times said shared folder has been selected exceeds a predetermined number of times, and if the shared folder remains unable to be searched for through said search step longer than said second predetermined time, then said shared folder at the destination is automatically deleted from and the shared folder and related entries are deleted from the shared folder management table.